4 COVID-19 Cases Confirmed in Military... Also Occurred at Army Hall on Ministry of National Defense Premises (Comprehensive)

by Yang Nakgyu

Published 11 Mar.2021 15:33(KST)

Special Forces soldiers deployed to support COVID-19 quarantine operations are guiding citizens at the screening clinic of Yongsan-gu Public Health Center in Seoul on the afternoon of the 14th. Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter]The number of new COVID-19 cases within the military increased by four.

According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 11th, the first confirmed case was reported at the Army Hall located within the Ministry of National Defense premises in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, prompting authorities to immediately identify contacts and access logs.

On the morning of the same day, one contract worker serving at the Army Hall tested positive for COVID-19. The worker had been attending work at the Army Hall until the 7th and was tested after being notified of contact with a civilian confirmed case during leave from the 8th to the 10th, resulting in a positive diagnosis.

The Ministry of National Defense is conducting COVID-19 tests on other employees working with the confirmed case at the Army Hall and is investigating whether staff and accredited journalists accessed the Army Hall between the 4th and 11th.

Additionally, they have announced, "Until the epidemiological investigation is complete, please adhere to quarantine guidelines, minimize movement, and conduct preventive observation in the office." The other three confirmed cases are soldiers stationed at army units in Wonju, Gangwon; Damyang, Jeonnam; and Goyang, Gyeonggi. The Wonju soldier was confirmed positive during mass testing at a unit that had four confirmed cases until the previous day, bringing the total confirmed cases at the Wonju unit to five. The soldiers from the Damyang and Goyang units were identified as contacts of civilian confirmed cases during leave or immediately after returning. Although all tested negative in the initial test, they were confirmed positive in retests conducted before release from quarantine.